Maxine McCarthy has established Cosmetic Couture as one of the leading training academies in the UK.
And along the way she has amassed a wide range of industry firsts – including creating the first pathway into aesthetics via Level 3 beauty courses – which she did with Cathedral Insurance and VTCT, well before the non-accredited pathways that followed and diluted the industry.
Almost exactly ten years later (Because that was all in 2012!!) the wheel is turning full circle as the Government has announced a change in the law requiring all practitioners to have a new qualification – a new pathway into aesthetics at level 4 to 7.
Maxine even created a 100% online level 3 introduction to aesthetics with awarding body SFJ which has been accepted by Qualifi for entry onto their level 4 qualification.
She has also pioneered worked with all the major insurance companies including Insync and Finch Insurance to verify and accredit all her courses.
Nobody quite knows what qualifications the Government will insist upon, but this is what could happen…. Maybe in 2024 or 2025 the law will change to make it illegal to administer Botox and fillers unless you have a minimum national qualification. This is most likely to be at level 7!
All practitioners will be given a number of years to do this – so in effect the law will come into force one day for anyone new to the industry and in another three years or so for anyone already practicing.
And they have said everyone will need to new qualifications to be able to practice.
Health Education England has already published a set of recommended standards for the industry (Way back in 2015!) proposing a progression form Level 4 to Level 7 and how EVERYONE – medics and non-medics – can progress through the levels.
National Occupational Standards (NOS) have been in place for advanced beauty practices and aesthetics treatments since 2012, including Botox and fillers added in 2019.
The NOS are not qualifications themselves but can be used by awarding bodies as a benchmark to develop training courses and qualifications.
Any new legal requirements, qualifications and courses are more than likely to be based on HEE and NOS.
Maxine is not afraid of the changes – indeed like many other academies, like Harley Academy, A-UK and others, they are embracing the changes and preparing to teach a whole new set of qualifications.
Maxine has always been prepared to innovate.
She was the first person to request insurance companies like Finch and Insync and Cathedral recognise the importance of courses in first aid and hyaluronidase.
She established the Association of Cosmetic Practitioners Britain (ACPB) as a charity to fight for the rights of non-medics in the industry and aim to raise standards across the board.
Now she is working on the new pathways that will be created in law and continue to help non-medics and medics alike to be the safest, most professional practitioners they can be.
